1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an equipment having an openable cover. Particularly, the present invention relates to a small sized portable equipment such as a portable calculator, a personal computer, a word processor or an electronic notebook, having a cover for opening and closing an operating panel or a display panel.
Most of the portable equipment of such a type are provided with a protective cover which is opened when the equipment is used so that an operating panel or a display panel formed of a liquid crystal is exposed to be manipulated by a finger or a pen, and is closed when the equipment is not used to protect the operating panel or the display panel. Also, it is necessary to protect the liquid crystal panel from breakage when the equipment is not used and is being carried by a user while it is necessary to be able to easily manipulate the liquid crystal panel by a finger or a pen when the equipment is being used.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art portable terminal equipment of a pen touch type having a protective cover is shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes an equipment body; 2 a liquid crystal display panel disposed on a top surface of the equipment body, which is also used as a press(or touch)-input section; 3 a pen for inputting information to the liquid crystal display panel; 4 a protective cover for opening and closing the liquid crystal display panel; and 5 a hinge member having two pivots 5a, 5b.
As illustrated, the protective cover 4 is coupled to the equipment body 1 by the hinge member 5 having the two pivots 5a, 5b. More specifically, the hinge member 5 is coupled to a rear edge of the protective cover 4 by one pivot 5a and to a center of a rear wall of the equipment body 1 (as seen in the vertical direction) by the other pivot 5b.
As shown in FIG. 5(a), when the equipment is not being used, the protective cover 4 is brought into contact with the top surface of the equipment body 1 to completely cover the liquid crystal display panel 2. When the equipment is being used, the protective cover 4 is opened as shown in FIG. 5(b) by rotating in the arrowed direction A, which causes the hinge member 5 to rotate about the pivots 5a, 5b by about 180.degree. each (a total of 360.degree.) at the maximum so that the protective cover 4 is brought into contact with a bottom surface of the equipment body 1. In this opened state, the liquid crystal display panel 2 is operable by the pen 3.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 8-16522 discloses another prior art electronic equipment having a body and a cover capable of selectively occupying a first position for covering an operating surface of the equipment body or a second position for covering a rear surface opposite to the operating surface, wherein the equipment body is tiltable to the second position by raising a stand from the cover.
According to the prior art portable terminal equipment of a pen touch type having a protective cover shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the protective cover 4 is opened until it is brought into contact with the rear surface of the equipment body when being used, as shown in FIG. 5(b). If the terminal equipment is placed on a desk (not shown) as it is, the liquid crystal display panel is in the horizontal position, which makes it difficult for the user to carry out the pen touch input operation while watching the liquid crystal display panel, because it requires the user to face the liquid crystal display panel from directly above.
On the other hand, the electronic equipment disclosed in Japanese Kokai No. 8-16522 is advantageous in that it is capable of selectively occupying a tilted position when the cover is in the second position, that is, when the cover is opened to be ready to use, by raising the stand from the cover. However, there is a problem in that it is necessary to raise the stand every time the equipment body is brought into a tilted position and to restore the stand every time the cover is closed.